


Comfort in Glitter

by lunenightingale



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Male Slash, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-31
Updated: 2013-05-31
Packaged: 2017-12-13 14:09:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/825177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunenightingale/pseuds/lunenightingale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Magnus doesn't like to deal with his emotions. The best way to deal with them is to keep busy and moving forward. But now, he has Alec in his life as well. They're both grieving the loss of someone dear to them, but neither will talk about it. So, true to old habits, Magnus tries to party and drink it away... What he didn't count on was finding comfort in something quieter and far more sentimental.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Comfort in Glitter

**Author's Note:**

> This is written as a prequel to a longer piece I'm writing with a friend. It's completely stand alone regardless, even if it will add to the future work. The time frame is post _City of Glass_ and before _City of Fallen Angels_.

Any good socialite knew that after something beautiful and grand as the Bachfest Leipzig, you had to throw a party. A grand party set to a class of people as magical and memorable as Johann Sebastian Bach himself. Or… well… anyone flamboyant like Magnus Bane and his acquaintances throughout a place as historical as Germany. Ah, Germany…

So what better way to spend the evening after the festivities than with said company in his home in Saxony, Germany?

People he’d known for a long time came, mostly vampires, fair folk or even warlocks. The only noticeable lack of attendance that bore on his mind was that of Ragnor Fell. He caught himself occasionally looking into the small crowds, eyes catching flashes of light green where they shouldn’t. Soon he forced himself to get more drinks than he should just to blur the memory. Perhaps Germany brought out the best in his addiction to alcohol. Yes, that was it.

The truth appeared far harder to swallow.

Turning to the table of liquor he’d managed to conjure up, he grabbed the bottle of _Jägermeister_ and poured generous amounts into two tumblers. Picking them up, he turned and headed across the room, knowing the darkest corner would be the lurking spot of the entire reason he even went on a worldwide tour again. The same reason the drink of choice made him smile just slightly. He’d likely regret pushing so many different drinks at his young lover, but tonight… tonight he wanted to forget and hope his love of parties didn’t die here. Not when he loved them so much.

Only as he approached the quieter side of the party, he found that the dark haired Nephilim wasn’t alone. In fact, there were a few party attendees hovering about him attempting to prod the poor Shadowhunter into talking. Brave and very drunk party attendees if they really wanted to poke at a Nephilim. His jaw tightened at the sound of a girl’s giggle when something said caused the faintest hint of a flush to run over Alec’s cheeks.

Pushing through the group, he stopped short as hazy blue eyes rose to his and the faintest twitch of a smile pulled at his lips. A hint of sparkling light caught his attention on a long dark eyelash that caused his eyes to shift up to the raven wing hair. Dim light played at little flecks of silver dusted through soft tresses causing Magnus to stare. Glitter?

For a moment he couldn’t move past that thought. Reserved Alexander Gideon Lightwood had glitter sparkling in his hair. But the longer he stared in stunned silence, even that small faint smile faded off of the teenager’s face forcing him to move forward. He caught sight of the bottle of glitter in one of the ladies hands, a fairy he thought; a bottle that he knew came from his own things. A brow arched as he slipped the tumbler into Alec’s hand letting their fingers brush and linger against each other.

“Really, ladies. You should know better than to dig through my things. Kindly hand it over?” The pink skinned fairy flicked translucent iridescent wings as she giggled. When he finally reached out, she slid it into his hand.

“Truly, _Herr_ Bane, you surprise us.” Magnus didn’t even look at her as he set the glitter down beside Alec and paused to just barely brush the glitter off of the eyelash. Pupils dilated just slightly as the hunter’s eyes slowly closed in complete trust letting him brush it away. Part of him wanted to just bend down and kiss the slightly parted lips when Alec inclined his head. Unfortunately, her heavily accented voice broke the spell that Alec always seemed to put on him. “He is unlike your tastes.”

He didn’t have to look at Alec to feel the way the younger’s eyes instantly flicked open. Soft lashes brushed his thumb as the warlock angled his head to the fairy. “And what, _Fräulein_ , would my tastes be and how would you presume to know them?”

The fairy didn’t miss a beat, not even when he lowered his own lashes, narrowing feline eyes in her direction. “He does not wear enough color. One being as vibrant as yourself likes colors… We merely suggested he try something new. He did agree.”

Magnus moved his gaze back to Alec, but the hunter looked away. Even as he covered the expression by taking a drink of the liquor in his hands, Magnus knew that the younger didn’t necessarily agree. But then, Alec appeared at least slightly tipsy. “Did he?”

A fair flush swept those cheeks again as Alec tried not to react to the strong drink and the question being posed. Magnus slid his own drink down onto the small table at the arm of the chair as the notion of Alec trying new things really sank in. Dipping down low, he swept his lips over Alec’s ear whispering quietly for only the young Nephilim to hear. “Would you let me put eyeliner on you? Your eyes would look stunning with it…”

Feeling the weight of the ladies eyes on them, he shifted in such a way that made his own form block out the others around them. One hand slid softly around to brace the back of Alec’s neck as he angled his head until their noses touch. The sweet smell of the German liquor came from the young man’s parted lips as he seemed to struggle for an answer. “Um… Okay? If…” Alec swallowed with effort and his fingers flexed on the glass Magnus knew he wanted to hide behind. “If it’s only you.”

Something happened as those words slid through his mind. A pleasant rush knocked the breath out of him as he felt the explosion of a thousand butterflies start in his stomach and take over his chest. Breathing in sharply, the notion of such trust from the teen sent a thrill through him that he could never explain. A powerful overwhelming feeling that he couldn’t name that was all consuming. “Alexander…”

Breathing the name, he lifted his other hand to trace the line of his lover’s jaw.  And in a flutter of images in his mind, he suddenly let his Shadowhunter go and stood straight. Turning to the room, his voice came out louder and more forceful than he’d heard it in a while. “Leave. The party is over. Thank you for coming.”

The silence that fell over the room might have startled him in another time or place. But this time, he felt unshakable in his resolve. Pressing his lips together, he pointed a sturdy hand to the door. Maybe it was the look on his face or the tone of his voice, but people started to put their drinks down and mill to the door. All the while, he stood there unmoving protectively in front of his lover who contemplated drowning in Magnus’ glass of liquor since his was empty.

Turning his head to Alexander, his eyes glinted in the low light. “Do you know what _Jägermeister_ means?” Alec didn’t look up as he shook his head. “Master hunter.” Blue eyes rose to his and he felt like he could fall into them and drown. “Drink it. There is more.” A heat simmered in his own gaze while he traced Alec’s face slowly. “And when they’re gone… I’m taking you up on that offer.”

The dawning of realization reflected in the younger’s clouded expression and his heart fluttered as Alec gave only the slightest hint of a nod. A smile pulled at the corners of his own lips as Alec instantly put the tumbler to his lips in nervous fashion. Maybe later… he’d try to re-establish his love of parties. Right now… he just wanted to drag Alec to his room and hide from the world for the remainder of the night… and possibly the next day as well.

\--+--

He made sure Alec got a drink or two more before he got the hunter out of his shirt. Not that he normally would need to coerce the Nephilim. That wasn’t the case at all. What he wanted with the alcohol was for Alec to relax. Eyeliner proved a tricky mistress to those that had not used it before. And the last thing he wanted was to spend the night nursing Alec’s eye should the unthinkable happen.

The prospect was wholly unattractive.

What really mattered, however; lay on his bed looking up at him sleepily through half closed eyes. Smoothing his left fingertips over a rune marking on Alec’s arm, he bent gracefully over the teen delicately smoothing his thumb over an eyebrow while the other fingers held the eyeliner between them. “Try not to move or blink if you can.”

“Mmhm.” The dreamy sound sent a shiver along his spine. That glaring trust ran through him with all the force of lightning. “Magnus?”

“Close your eyes, darling.” The words came out softly as dark lashes lowered to rest against smooth cheeks, like rich onyx against ivory.  “What is it?”

Steadily, he used the shimmering black eyeliner to softly outline the lashes of the upper eyelid. The fact that Alec didn’t flinch or pull away left him marveling his lover. “What are your ‘tastes’?”

As he curled the end of the line just perfectly, he lifted his hand and checked his handiwork. “My tastes? Is this about Tinker Bell’s comment?”

“Is that really her name?” A smile hinted at his lips as he bent down to repeat the same motion to the other eye. He was just adding that final curl when he felt one of Alec’s hands lift to softly curl into the expensive dark purple material of his shirt.

“Probably not. I don’t remember.” She was of no consequence to him. He couldn’t even remember why he had a party to begin with. The old habit seemed so distant now as he gently traced elaborate lines about the eye in delicate tribal fashion. “Open them.”

Beautiful blue irises slowly revealed as the pupils adjusted to the light little by little. “Then how does she know what you like?”

“She doesn’t.” Magnus stated simply as he bent closer and brushed his lips in a kiss to Alec’s forehead.  “Don’t move. This will feel strange.” Feline eyes stayed intently on Alec’s eyes as he carefully lined the lower eyelid with the lovely almost glitter black color. It really brought the blue out.

“What _do_ you like?”

Cat-like eyes fell half closed as he softly began more elaborate lines to each eye turning it into a work of art that drew attention to the amazing blue color. Only as he finished an elegant line and swept his gaze to Alec’s eyes directly, did he smile. “You.”

The set of Alec’s jaw told him the answer wasn’t good enough, but he brushed over it. He put things off. He always did when he didn’t want to go into detail. Details that would likely hurt Alec in ways that shouldn’t matter anymore. Or memories that he didn’t want to relive and lose yet again. “Magnus…”

Closing his eyes only a moment, he turned away to switch out for the new gold eyeliner he’d bought for his Egyptian eyeliner art he felt predominantly drawn to. But when he returned to Alec, he slid one leg over his hips and perched on the hunter. Pencil delicately threaded through his fingers, he splayed his hands over Alec’s bare chest. “Blue eyes… dark hair… honesty. Honesty is important. Blunt and complete honesty. Something people like me don’t have.”

His eyes went out of focus a moment before he pushed forward and began swirl and highlight the lovely eyes with gold to keep himself from fidgeting. People like him. People that got friends killed on a whim of fancy. People like Ragnor that dealt with his flights of fancy and risked his life more than once to help him. Friends that where they weren’t ever-present, were still there. Friends he didn’t really deserve. A friend that was dead.

The soft touch of Alec’s fingers sliding over his face had him blinking a few times to come back into focus. When had his fingers stopped moving and his eyes stop seeing? Pulling his hands away, he moved his eyes to a rune on Alec’s chest. His mind hazed a little before he carefully started to outline the bold black mark on pale skin with the gold pencil. “I love you, Magnus.”

Something inside of him wanted him to ask why. But instead he smiled. “I love you, too.” Finishing the traced outline, he bent down and softly kissed the bridge of Alec’s nose before returning to finish his eyes. When he completed his work, he admired the fruits of his labor grinning. “I’d take the credit, but I must say… your eyes are what sell it.” He had to laugh as Alec rolled his eyes in bemused fashion.

Flicking his tongue along the shell of Alec’s ear, he heard a soft gasp come from the hunter. “They really are.” Biting softly into the younger’s neck; he drew the capped eyeliner pencil down his lover’s neck and along his chest only earning a slight squirm from the teenager. Lifting up, he arched a brow down at the Nephilim and made a face. “You have far too much control over your reactions, you know that? Even when mildly intoxicated… speaking of… I could get intoxicated off you.”

Something happened then… something he never would have planned for or expected in all his long life if he’d actually known Alec that long. The young Shadowhunter closed his eyes and started to laugh. “That… that was…” The young dark haired teen seemed to struggle to stop the laughter that left Magnus both shocked and stunned into happiness all at once. “Really, Magnus?”

That’s when the indignation flared up, but no anger tainted him or his voice. “Really what?”

Alec nearly rolled on his side, curling a little as he tried to catch the laughter so it couldn’t escape him at all. It was so strange and beautiful to watch the young hunter try so hard to reign in such beautiful laughter. “Nothing… I just… intoxicating? Really?”

Realization dawned on the warlock’s face and he suddenly found himself fighting off the urge to smile. “You’re making fun of my pick up lines, aren’t you?”

A flash of blue came over a broad shoulder and he could make out a bare hint of a tiny smile on soft lips. “Yes.” Blunt. Even drunk, the Nephilim couldn’t stop from saying things plainly. Watching the dark strands slide over his forehead and down to curtain those luminous eyes, he couldn’t help the small smile that finally won the territory over his face.

Alec blinked in curiosity as Magnus ducked down to kiss his shoulder. Half closing his eyes, he lingered against the warm skin. “Don’t.” Blinking his eyes open, Magnus lifted his head to look at Alec in curiosity. “Don’t go where I can’t follow.”

Sadness pulled at the corners of his heart at those words and imploring eyes. “Whatever do you mean, Alexander?”

“You drift away. And I can’t follow you. Not here…” His fingers rose as he rolled halfway toward him and gently touched Magnus’ temple. “I can’t go there if you don’t talk to me.”

Honesty. Something he wanted in his lovers, but did he have it in him? And when he wanted to tell that sweet white lie and promise he wouldn’t, he stopped. Alec didn’t deserve it. He didn’t want to lie to him. “It’s a dull dreadful place. You might come out looking like tie dye gone wrong.”

A door slowly closed in those eyes blocking out the pleading gaze. Alec told him he was bad with words. Magnus was a master of them. But who here was wrong? Who expressed themselves better?

Reaching out, he caught Alec’s hand and threaded his fingers through the younger man’s and drew it to his lips kissing the back sweetly. “Don’t ask me right now, Alec… please don’t ask me right now.”

“When?” The soft, resolute question rung in his ears. Rolling it around a few times, he finally pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips. Nuzzling behind the dark haired hunter’s ear, he let out a soft sigh. Thoughts of his past played before his mind’s eye. People lost. People that left. People that used him or wanted him. And the thought of how it would feel to no longer have Alexander. The anguish was more than he could bear or even understand.

“I don’t know.” Feline eyes rose with equal hope to Alec’s gaze. “I hope soon.”

“Okay.” His teenage lover only gave ground. Alexander Lightwood would not give up. The boy was tenacious and persistent when he truly and honestly wanted something. To whatever end…

But could he, would he, be so persistent to keep something as fractured and internally bleeding as Magnus? The amount of perseverance it would take sometimes stifled him. The complaints of those that claimed to love him before rang in his head, but he swiftly pushed them away to focus on Alec. Their love remained young yet. They had time to explore just how willing Alec was, as they grew closer. For now, darker thoughts fueled by loss intensified grief.

Losing each other wouldn’t bring Ragnor or Max back.

Their eyes stayed locked together as his mind drew closer to the here and now. He remembered what remained most important now. Only to find himself speaking before he even realized he spoke. “’Love is composed of a single soul… inhabiting two bodies.’” The words of Aristotle at one time made him laugh. Then they made him sad as he watched Will and Tessa Herondale all those years ago. “Never have I considered that more than prattled nonsense until now.”

Alec smiled, a true heartfelt smile while arching a brow. “’At the touch of love everyone becomes a poet.’”

The silence followed for only a few heartbeats before he let out a laugh and shook his head. “My words have been refuted with Plato. I don’t know how to handle that.” He kissed his lover light and airily. “I love your mind…”

“Mm… is that all you want me for?” The laughter danced in luminous blue before the desire to be close took over. Claiming the hunter’s lips, he took his time to kiss him deeply. Slowly tasting and licking into his mouth, he felt like he could just devour his lover and all that made Alec, Alec. And when he finally released those lips, the younger mewled while he attacked his neck with soft licks and nips that left marks due to sharp teeth. “I guess not…”

Pushing his hands down the younger’s body; he pulled the jeans off without ceremony or waiting. It didn’t take him long to kiss down his thighs and over his hips. Nor did it take exceptionally long to leave stinging marks on pale skin from suckling here and there on his inner thighs. Sometimes he wanted to just worship each inch of skin… but for now he was too intent on taking the lovely hunter for his own. Coiling his hand about his lover’s erection, he worked him in tender strokes while sitting back to drink in the sounds and ways that Alec moved.

“I love every facet of who you are.” The shapely hips lifted off the bed when his hand twisted with a move of his wrist. “I want you… let me have you, Alec?”

The hunter nodded mutely, trying to blink his eyes into focus to meet his own. Beautiful Alexander. The stark contrast of golden Egyptian cotton sheets against deep onyx hair only accented the startling blue of his eyes. The pale skin flushed and pinked beautifully with each touch and stroke of his hand. “Please… Magnus.”

“My darling, Alexander…” Slow… he wanted to take the younger slowly. Slipping down onto his side, he curled his free hand around Alec’s waist and pulled him back against his own chest while keeping them on their sides. He nuzzled into the dark hair, smiling as he felt glitter light onto his own nose and cheeks.

Carefully switching his hands, the arm about his waist lazily stroked at the weeping cock. One index finger pressed into the slit at the tip causing his young lover to cry out and buck against his hand. “Shh… it’s okay. Just enjoy this.” The other hand moved to lift his Nephilim’s leg and curl it higher on the bed… just for now. Then that hand slid up the back of his thigh to run gently along the valley of his ass.

Magnus felt the flesh shiver under his touch then raise goose bumps over normally soft skin. The idea that his touch did so much made him smile. Tipping his head, he tenderly nibbled at Alec’s ear while he pressed his fingers against his entrance. The resulting gasp rocketed down his spine and had his eyes closing as he bucked into Alec causing his own hardness to press against the small of the younger’s back. “God, Alexander…”

Everything he did set Magnus on fire. And he knew fire. Better than anyone.

Biting down into the curve of the shadowhunter’s neck, he found the bottle of lube quickly to pour over his fingers… Only then did he push them inside one by one. Each finger worked the tight channel open with unending patience. Alec never failed to be worth every moment he waited for him. He loved just feeling him close and eliciting each soft sigh, gasp or cry he could out of him. So when he pressed the third finger in and slowly took him with agonizingly slow thrusts, he felt more than accomplished as the teen rocked back into him desperately. Alec did so with even more fervor than usual due to the alcohol in his system.

Licking at the mark he’d left on pale skin, he nuzzled behind the panting teen’s ear. “Are you ready for me?” Crooking his fingers inside, he felt everything tighten when he hit that spot that made Alec writhe against his fingers. “Say it to me…”

Alec grit his teeth, as he knew that Magnus drew it out on purpose. Magnus would drag out sex when he could. Especially when he got into a mood such as this. “Magnus…” The emphasis on certain letters gave away the desperation in his voice. Regardless, nothing Alec could have said could convince him half as fast as seeing those elegantly decorated and outlined eyes pinning him with all of the need and desperation he felt inside.

Releasing his lover’s cock, he instantly reached up and smeared the precum over the raven-haired teen’s lips before grasping his chin. Forcing him to turn and face him as best he could, Magnus took his lips again. This time he licked them clean before plundering the sweet depths moaning even louder than Alec.

Drawing his fingers out, he probably got more lube on the bed than necessary in his haste to take his lover. But Alec did things to him. He made him desperate with utter need and desire. Which he conveyed with the barely controlled motion of pushing into him inch by agonizing inch. Catching his lover’s thigh, he lifted it to ease the penetration that didn’t stop till his balls nestled against Alec’s skin.

The writhe of the young body against his own sent thrills through him that he only hoped Alec could feel. From the sounds the teen made, he was pretty certain he did feel it. Gently lowering the perfectly muscled leg, he pushed his own leg between them so he could rest Alec’s on his own keeping him open and comfortable. And regardless of the initial soft pleading, he wrapped his arms about his lover and just held him.

Soft butterfly kisses painted over Alec’s shoulder and neck as he whispered sweet nothings into his ear. Words he usually said as formalities in sex… suddenly made sense and he meant every word of them. For a brief moment, only the two of them existed. Here… in the fading light connected as one. Years of poetry and sentimentality made perfect sense as he whispered words he knew he could never say enough. “I love you, Alexander…”

A strong hand slid into his and their fingers twined together. “I love you, Magnus…” The soft breathless voice only made him fall more in love with him…

He would savor this. He knew this meant so much more. So much he couldn’t even measure. So much he probably should face the fact that maybe this was the person he’d been waiting for… but that could wait. They had all the time in the world right there in that moment.

\--+--

“It’s not like before…” How many times had he said those words? Each time he felt like it was true. This time, it moved his very core. But she’d heard it all before. Why would she believe him now?

“Magnus… what makes this so different?” Catarina’s voice stayed soft and placating like a mother talking to their child. Something he felt used to coming from her. He adored her. She stood by him through some of his worst moments in history. But she knew too much in some ways.

Dropping his eyes to the book in his lap, fingertips slid over the cover reverently while the other set tapped gently against the cell phone against his ear. “Enough to give it all up.”

The silence that followed was near deafening and part of him wondered if they’d been disconnected. “That’s why you wanted the Book of the White… Magnus… you just met him.”

Yes. He just met Alec in the grand scheme of his life. “I know.” Drawing his feet up into the chair, the large book pressed into his chest. “Yet… I cannot bear the thought of losing him. And I cannot bear the thought of cursing him with immortality.”

He heard the shifting and pictured the delicate hand slipping into long white hair. Catarina’s forehead would be furrowed in perplexity as she tried to work it out in her mind. Closing his eyes, he breathed in slowly waiting for the reprimanding words. “Don’t be rash… wait. Be sure. Magnus… we don’t even know if someone as old as you can survive… Just… wait.”

The pain in her voice caused him to wince. The fear became palpable in her soft plea and he knew… knew that her mind lingered on the loss of one friend. “I won’t die.”

“Oh Magnus…” They both knew he fooled no one. Death terrified him.

Tipping his head back, he let it rest against the back of the sofa. “I promise, Catarina…”

An echo of a sigh filtered through the receiver and he felt heavier. In accommodating her fears, he felt like he was holding himself back. From what, he didn’t know. “Thank you, Magnus.”

A rustle of movement he only pinpointed with sharp eyes made him turn his head. Beautiful blue peered around the doorframe to the bedroom, the elegant swirls of eyeliner barely smeared against the smooth skin. A smile pulled at his lips as he drank in the wild dark hair from a long night as well as the sleep marked skin of Alec’s arm. “I will call you another time, Catarina. Thank you for checking in.”

The warlock on the phone sighed yet again and bid him farewell before he dropped the phone on the coffee beside him along with the book. Lifting a hand, he beckoned his lover with a warm and love filled smile. “Come join me?” Alec didn’t hesitate, nor did it seem he felt need for clothing… What really mattered however was the fact that his lover slid into his lap, straddling his hips.

Wrapping his arms about his waist, he met his lips in a soft kiss.

“I want to wake up to this… every morning for the rest of my life.” His voice stayed soft and Alec smiled, but he didn’t put enough weight on those words. In the end, the true meaning would be lost in translation. That’s how it always happened for him.

“Then make it happen.” But maybe… just maybe… they both meant more than what they actually said.

Maybe.


End file.
